Next to this as a second means for the suppressing of popery I vvould subjoyn the casting out from among us all appearance of popery every thing that looks like Rome every thing of vvhich the papists may say This you borrovved from us c. I condemne not every thing receaved from Rome as simply evill but certainly as long as the papists see any such things among us in our publike vvorsbip they vvill but scorn us and our religion as imperfect and unable to furnish us in the service of our God vvithout being beholding to them If ye knovv these things happy are ye if ye doe them Iohn 13 17. in all parts of the kingdome to demolish all Idolatrous reliques and superstitious monuments as they have already most worthily begun with that great Image of many faces in Cheapside to punish open Idolatrie blasphemie swearing cursing Sabbath-breaking and all such as are lawlesse disobedient traytors ungodly sinners unholy prophane murderers of fathers murderers of mothers manslayers whoremongers defylers of themselves with mankind men stealers lyers periured persons c. 1 Tim. 1 9. 10. but to uphold and maintaine those that walke godly righteously and Tit. 2 12. soberlie among them though it should not be just in that way and manner of publike worship which the Parliament shall set up For I can not but hold well of that which that faithfull and able minister of the gospel Mr. Henry Aynsworth hath long since written Counterpoy Pag. 232. concerning the Parliament of England saying Howsoever all subjects are and ought to submit to the good civill lawes there inacted and obedience may be inforced by the sword Rom. 13. if any resist yet in cases of conscience every man must live by his owne faith Hab. 2 4. Nen must gladly receave the word Act. 2 41. out of which all religion must be gathered all Kings and Kingdomes submitting unto the lawes and ordinances in Christs testament Psal 2 10. 11. 12. if they would have blessing and salvation by him With which agreeth well that excellent note of an antient writer and there are many that reverence antiquity in matter of religion and indeed it is the old way in walking wherein we find rest who teacheth us that Bern in Cant. fides suadenda est non imperanda For the Apostle plainly declareth that none can Rom. 10 14. 15. 17. call upon him in whom they have not beleeved neither can they believe in him of whom they have not heard and heare they can not without a preacher and none can preach except he be sent of God and furnished for that service So that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God not by the commandements or traditions of men which are of no such power to perswade the conscience as the word of God is And if the heart conscience be not perswaded in feare of God to yeild obedience what will come of it but an inforced hypocrisie a drawing neare to God with the lip when the heart is farre from him which is a service abominable in his sight and wherein there can be no true inward comfort and assurance which is the life and marrow of religion and that which begetteth true loyaltie to the higher powers For surely it is a true saying that was once spoken unto this present Parliament in a publike sermon by one of their owne ministers Junij 20. 1641. viz That there are a great many ministers that are not resolved what to doe c. they will wait for what the Parliament will doe you may set up what religion you please they will be of your religion still So also may be said of others they wil be of what religion the king is of so long as he hath any power to support them and any boones or offices to give them Yea some think it high presumption to be of any other mynd that way than the king or Parliament is of If this be not a serving God after the will of man I know not what is Let us not therefore Rom. 14 13. judge one an other any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way but let every man be fully perswaded in his mynd Vers 5 23. and doe no thing without faith in this kind for whatsoever is not of faith is sin and Heb. 11 6. without faith it is impossible to please God Now Ephes 2 8. faith is the gift of God wrought in the heart by his holy Spirit useing thereto as the outward meanes thereof the ministery of the word of reconciliation and be sure of this that so soone as the heart is truly moved by the work of the Spirit there cannot but be a most free and readie joyning to the Lord in faithfull submission to his will for saith the Spouse Draw me Cant. 1 4. and we will run after thee and the prophet David I will run the way Psal 119 32. of thy commandements when thou shalt inlarge myne heart And untill the heart of the people be moved all that the kings and parliaments of the earth can doe by their outward force and power shall not prevaile to establish the service of God in its due and right order yea though they should be as godly and zealous as Iehoshaphat the King of Judah of whom the scripture noteth that he walked in the way of Asa his father and departed not from it doeing that which was right in the sight of the Lord 2 Cron 20 32. 33. Howbeit the high places were not taken away for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers And if such a zealous and powerfull prince as K. Jehoshaphat could not prevaile in the reformation of externall and visible abuses in religious worship and that becaus the peoples hearts were not prepared c Much lesse shall anie earthly prince or potentate be able by his worldly power to make this people to Ioh. 4 23. worship the father in Spirit and truth and such he seeketh to worship him The reason is becaus the kingdom of Christ is not of this world neither can be planted or established by worldly power for so long as the vaile 2 Cor. 3 13. is over mens hearts they can not looke to the end of that which is abolished but when the Lord shall mollifie their hard and stony hearts and give unto them hearts of flesh when he shall enlighten their myndes and open their understandings and so turne them from Idols to serve the living and true God then the vaile shall be taken away Now the Lord is 2 Cor. 3 16. 17. that spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty to wit from the bondage of sin to serve God in righteousnes and holynes all the days of their life Gal. 5 1. Rom. 6 22. 7. 6. Luc. 1 74. 75. Wherefore that was a good decree of King Cyrus who being appointed to
of Rome and honour the pope as head of the Church c. So I also take that generally the common people in England and elswhere doe understand by Brownists or Brownistically affected seing the name can not agree to anie point of doctrine such as doe follow that doctrine and discipline which one Browne was a prime author witnes and constant maintayner of by word and writing which to prove concerning the doctrine and discipline professed by those who seperate from the church of England as a false Church not daring to have any communion with her for feare of defyling their garments and hold the discipline of every true church to be independant would be hard for any of those that so call them be they never so learned history-graphers to doe But indeed thus much I confesse that I have both heard and read of one Browne who lived about the latter end of Q Elizabeth or beginning of K. James his raigne and had receaved once some tast of the good word of God and made some profession of the truth but afterwards revolted from the countenanceing of the way of God it seemeth for the 2 Tim. 4 10. love of the world and turned like the dog to his old vomit for he tooke againe upon him his Antichristian ministery and countenanced the Church of England to his death though I have also heard that when he hath bin put upon it in discourse to shew reasons against the way which he did so discountenance he could say little or nothing yet becaus of the flesh pots of Egypt the garlick and the onyons wherewith his belly was filled and having it may be tasted or seene the poverty of the Saints and hatred of men against them which is one of their Ioh. 16 33. badges here in this world he was loth to leave it by personall seperation Wherfore I see little ground why the professors of seperation should be called after his name as if they were his disciples But rather I conceave I have the witnes not of man but of God in my behalf that he returning againe to the state of the Church of England and dyeing in the testimony thereof countenanceing it by his communion and society therein and being a preacher thereof hath thereby manifested to the world and to men that 1 Ioh. 2 19. he was not of us for if he had bin of us he would no doubt have continued with us but he went out from us that he might be made manifest that he was not of us Whence I conclude that they may according to the signification of the word more properly than any be called Brownists who for the love of their earthly benefits and to avoyd the hatred of men doe continue still in or returne againe unto the countenanceing of the Antichristian estate wherein the Church of England was at that time and those indeed are they that are Brownistically affected i. e. affected as Browne was Wherfore my hope is that whensoever the high court of Parliament shall proceed to their well setled reformation though I expect not that by the ordinances of men the truth of God shal be ever established in the sincere profession thereof and that becaus the Lord himself saith Psa 110 2. that his people shal be voluntaries in the day of his power and our Saviour plainly declareth that no man Ioh. 6 44. can come to him but whom the father draweth for it is not Zach. 4 6. by might or armies nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts they will manifest to the world their utter dislike of P. Ansvv to the K. declar of his vict Oct. 3. 1642. pag. 10. Brownisme according to the reall and proper signification of the expression that is those that follow Browne in the countenanceing and approving of the man of sin his Antichristian Hierarchie And to this understanding of this nick-name they are necessarily bound by the rule of charity upon their owne grounds for if they hold seperation from the Church of England to be an error and that Browne was once in that way then when afterward he returned from that and gave them such satisfaction as that he receaved again his ministerie he repented of his former error Now for to make him a patrone or father of that whereof he repented and which he cast off is a great breach of charity not beseeming such as accompt themselves ministers of Christ to put upon their follow-labourers I have spoken thus much upon this slight occasion only for this end that the professors of the truth all that are well mynded may take notice that there is at this day no religion heresy sect or faction that doth so unjustly and improperly beare the name wherewith they are usually named by their opposites as doth this poore despised people But let them be comforted that it is for Christ's sake their seperation from the unfruitfull works of darknesse that they are so named and happie are they therein for great shal be their reward in heaven I have perceived also now in these dayes of England's trouble the presses to be imployed more freely than they have bin in times past and many are bold to publish their conceits and opinions in matter of Religion and to be counsillors admonitors to that high honourable court which is the great Counsill of the Kingdom how they should behave themselves and what they should inclyne to in their reformation of Church-goverment Which mē doe seem to me to spēd labour and trouble that Court in vain for if they did rightly consider the nature of Christ's kingdome they need not seeke unto men but if they be servants of God they need only to seeke unto him who is the Nom. 27 16. God of the spirits of all flesb to send forth his word with the power and demonstration of his good Spirit which would be as indeed it is the onlie and suffitient way and meanes for planting and establishing of his true Church and only advise the Parliament to approve themselves the ministers of God in suffering his truth to flourish and cherishing the professors of the same and to restrain by their power the malice of wicked persecutors as did that noble King Darius of Persia who commanded the enemyes beyond the river Ezra 6 6. 7. 11. 12. to be farr from hindering the Jewes from building the house of God yea whosoever saith he shall alter this word let timber be pulled downe from his house and being set up let him be hanged thereon and his house be made a dunghill for this And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all Kings and people that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem and to make such wholsome and good lawes as might inable and authorise the civill magistrates and Courts of justice Mr. Nevvcomen in his serm before the Parl 5 November 1642. pag. 44.
last point which I shal be able at this time to handle as the end wherfore Christians are bound to pray for those in authority or the good fruit which we may by God's blessing reape if we be not sparing in sowing the powerfull seed of our prayers for them In which clause as there is plainly set downe a suffitient argument to enduce us to pray for Kings c So there seemeth to be included what is the duty of magistrates in the common wealth or where to God hath ordained them and what he requireth of them viz to see to the maintainance of 1 peace and quietnes 2. godlines and 3ly honestie Peace is the profit and increase of the Duty of princes common wealth whereas warre is the overthrow and ruine of it as may be seen in great kingdomes and Countries which have bin utterly wasted and depopulated by having the seat of warre within their borders So that there is great reason that those in supream authority should have a care to preserve peace for in so doeing they preserve their owne and the Country's riches and safety Happie therfore and renowned among men is that King or supreame magistrate who beareth not only in his Chrest but also in his breast this divine Mottoe Blessed are Math. 5 9. the peacemakers but sad thoughts can not but be of those princes who like unnaturall and hard hearted parents shall not only with dry cheeks behold their children their subjects sheathing their swords in each others bowels but also countenance and defend the ringleaders and abettors of such bloodie enterprizes Surely such if such there be are farre from being sons of peace Should not the shedding of their owne blood touch them and make them withdraw their hand yea doubtles otherwise they bewray themselves to be unfit to governe for he that ruleth over men must be just 2 Sam. 23 3. but how farr such demeanour is from Justice a tender capacitie may soone determine Civile peace is also the tranquillity of the Churches of the Saints who in the dayes of rest and quiet doe flourish as a green baytree in the garden of God spread abroad over nations and kingdomes but in the daies of trouble and persecution is driven into the wildernes to hide herself from the rage of the wicked where yet the Lord nourisheth her maketh her to yeild her savour like the Camemal which the more it is troden upon and depressed the sweeter smell it sendeth forth In the daies of peace and quietnes the people of God sit under their vines and figtrees eating and drinking and making melodie in their hearts unto God flocking like doves to their windowes like Eagles to the carkase in multitudes to the celebration of God's ordinances Whereas the times of trouble and persecution make them to sit downe in mourning and hang by their harpes as not able to * Psal 137. sing the song of Sion but remembring the Lord a farre off as one that turneth his back upon them which maketh them to sigh and groan and to cloth themselves in sackcloth and to have ashes for their meat and mingle their wine with weeping Their meetings togither then if at all are in feare and sorrowe stil looking for their enemy to come upon them to make a prey of their lives Let then every true Christian-like heart never cease praying for Kings and those in authority that under them we may live a peaceable and quiet life Godlinesse is the pillar of the common wealth for where that is cherished upheld and maintayned by the higher powers that kingdom is doubtlesse stable and firme and so shall continue For there is neither treacherie or rebellion at home or open invasion from abroad that shall anie way distract that prince who maketh the Lord his hope and serveth him continually nor hurt that people that walke in his feare Wherfore it is a principall thing which God requireth in princes that they be men c Exod. 18 21. 22. fearing God and the sweet singer of Israel saith that they must d 2 Sam. 23 3. rule in the feare of God I can not here omit something that I have lately read written by one * Iosua de la Cave of our times in an Epistle to the states of Holland and West-Frisia to this effect e Vbi religio est locum habent bonae leges ac bona disciplina ex quibus fortunati felicesque eventus in expeditionibus praecipuâ— bellicis nascuntur sieut â— contra etiam sublata religione corruere rempublicam oportet quoniaâ— sublata Dei timore sequitur impietas ruins Imperiorum where religion is good lawes and good discipline have place by which come prosperous and happie events espetially in warlike expeditions as on the contrary religion being taken away the common wealth must faile becaus when the feare of God is taken away ungodlines followeth and the ruine of Empires And againe * Duo fundamenta tâ— tius bonae societatis sunt religio Iustitia ubi câ—ptum ab illis declinari pro modulo minuitur felicitas Reipublicae subditos rebellare in se sentit ordinario Iure qui Deo rebellis est Religion and Justice are the two only props of a good society when once men begin to declyne from them the happines also of the common wealth doth diminish he ordinarily feeleth the rebellion of his subjects against him that is himself a rebell against God And afterwards ‡ Cum pura manet religio tum bene ordinata stat politia a Deo conservata incolumis when Religion remayneth pure then the civile state is well ordered is kept in safety by God Now princes may be said to maintaine godlines first by abolishing and rooting out of their kingdome as much as in them is all false wayes invented and feigned religions all Idols and superstitious vanities But if they be on the other hand seekers to root out godlines and the feare of God from among them by persecuting the Saints forbiding preaching suffering Idol-service tollerating the blaspheming of the name of God and breach of his sabaths they shall never be able to hold up their heads when the King of Kings shall call them to an accompt Secondly by upholding and maintayning the true Christian religion defending the Churches of Christ from the abusing hands and tongues of wicked persecutors But if they themselves be persecutors of the godly restrayning them of their liberty of publike service of God inflicting fines amercements imprisonments and other corporall punishments upon men that make conscience of the way of Gods service the true religion what will they say when God shall visite their iniquity with a rod their sin with scourges This is the principall charge and duty of princes if they did but know their duty namely to further the honour of God and his worship and service First becaus it is from him they have their office charge
build the Lord an house in Jerusalem did not force or compell all his people to set on that work but gave out proclamation saying Ezra 1 3. who is there among you of all his people his God be with him and let him goe up to Ierusalem which is in Iudah and build the house of the Lord God of Israel c. and the text saith afterwards Vers 5. Then rose up the chief of the fathers c with all them whose spirit God had raised to goe up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem With which agreeth the decree of Artaxerxes after that which he sent unto Ezra the Scribe saying I Eza 7 13. make a decree that all they of the people of Israell and of his priests and levites in my realme which are mynded of their owne free will to goe up to Ierusalem goe with thee For indeed this is a thing that must needs be done before the service of the house of God can be set in order to wit that there should be a people fitted and prepared by the Lord for the making of his temple these stones must be hewea in the mountayne they must be fitted and prepared before they can be joyned into the holy covenant Of this fitting preparing neither the K nor parliament can be competent Judges but they must be those workmen that have squared them for the building which must judge of their fitnesse they must be men learned and expert in the scripture which is the golden rod or rule the line and plummet where by the matter of this spirituall house is tryed that must be the masons and workmen that must be the overseers and chief rulers in this worke And when they are fitted ther must be a willing giving themselves to the Lord and adjoyning one to another to serve God with one consent they must not be drawen by force it must be the love of God that must constrayne them or all will be lost labour Wherfore the Jews when their adversaries would by fraud deceit have thrust themselves into the worke of building they would not permit it but said You Ezra 4 3. have nothing to doe with us to build an house unto our God but we our selves togither will build unto the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us And be sure God will not neglect his owne worke but in his good time will inlighten the myndes of his elect and call them to the knowledge of his truth And for them that are not of that nomber what have they to doe saith God Psal 50. to take my covenant in their lips seing they hate to be reformed Thus for the Parliament to behave themselves in point of religion I doubt not but would be an espetiall meanes to bring peace to their Kingdome free them from that sin whereof the man of sin is declared guilty who sitteth as God in the temple of God oppressing and compelling the consciences of men by his laws and canons when the canon of the Scripture is neglected or receaved but in the second place and to make this the most renowned parliament that ever was assembled in that land It would ease them and the whole land of great trouble and expence if they would only looke to the Civile governement of the land according to the law of God and the just lawes of the Kingdome and take off that yoke of oppression which hath bin by former parliaments layd upon the consciences of the free-borne subjects of that Kingdome who have by the law of the land or by the misunderstanding of the Judges of the law bin excommunicated fyned imprisoned banished corporally punished yea and some put to death for dissenting and seperating from their Idolatrous and Antichristian assemblies Then should their fasting be accepted before the Lord and their prayers be heard on high or at least the prayers of God's people for them and I can not be otherwise perswaded but that then the Lord would soone be moved to turne away his wrath which now is burning against that nation for Isa 58 6. 7. 8. 9. 12. is not this thefast saith the Lord that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednes to undoe the heavie burdens and to let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake every yoke Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that are cast out to thyne house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine owne flesh Then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousnes shall goe before thee and the glory of the Lord shal be thy rereward Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answere thou shalt cry and he shall say Here am I. if thou take from the midst of thee the yoke the putting forth of the finger and speaking vanity c. And they shal be of thee that shall build the old wast places thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach the restorer of pathes to dwell in By this meanes also they should soone finde out who are the Achans that bring trouble upon the Kingdome and the lawes and Courts of justice might seize upon and punish them For liberty being thus given unto men or more properly men being left to the work of God's word and Spirit in matter or rather manner of religion and nothing imposed upon them by the State but only injunctions to walke orderly and justly it would soone appeare who are the faithfull subjects who are they that are obedient to Kinges and those in authority who are they that wish most the good of the land and on the contrary who are they that deserve to be punished imprisoned and if their fault so require banished namely Psa 101 8. the wicked if the land those that live in ryot and drunckenesse in chambering wantonnesse in swearing cursing Idolatry Sabbath-breaking oppression and villanie for they are those who being left unpunished or countenanced by authority bring downe God's judgments upon a nation and not those that Eccl. 12 13. feare God labour to keepe his commandements and seeke to save their soules by Nom. 16 26. seperating from the Communion and society of such wicked persons as are before named For these are the righteous who by their prayers and teares upon all occasions doe turne away the wrath of God and save the City or Country wherein they dwell Job 22 30. Eccles 9 15. Gen. 18 25. c. Genes 30 27. Acts. 27 24. These few words have I uttered further out of zeal to God love to my native Country honour to my prince and that honourable Court of Parliament and for the discharge of myne owne conscience that it may not be at that day layd to my charge that I had once a time to speak and held my peace And I beseech Almighty God to turn away his fierce wrath from our land to give his gospell a free passage that the kingdome of his son may be increased and the kingdome of Satan and Antichrist be more and more consumed by the sword of his mouth and at 2 Thes 2 ◠length wholie destroyed by the brightnesse of his coming that we may with the Apostle John heare that great voice of much people in heaven saying Alleluja Rev. 19 1. 2. 3. 4. salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God For true and righteous are his judgments for he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath avenged the bloud of his servants at her hand And again they said Alleluja and her smoke rose up for ever And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell downe and worshiped God that sate on the throne saying Amen Alleluja FINIS Errata Pag. 1. l. 12. r In vindication pag. 18. l. 23. r stop pag. 33. l. 13. r warfare pag. 40. l. 14. r vers 5. c. pag. 53. l. 19. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 54. l. 17. r nor pag. 61. l. 10. r watch pag. 64. margent r misericordia pag. 97. 8. is a mysterie pag. 117. l. 4. put out pag. 120. l. 2. r satisfaction pag. 121. l. 1. put out pag. 123. l. 16. r. men pag. 126. l. 26. r make his